Kennesaw State tops Liberty 48-42 in double OT, will play for Conference USA championship

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LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Amari Odom threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Christian Moss on the first play of a second overtime and Kennesaw State's defense did the rest in a 48-42 victory over Liberty on Saturday in a regular-season finale.

Odom misfired on the mandatory two-point conversion for the Owls (9-3, 7-1), who found out at halftime they'd be playing in the Conference USA title game after Western Kentucky lost 37-34 to regular-season champion Jacksonville State. But it didn't matter.

Baron Hopson tackled Evan Dickens for a 1-yard loss on first down. Tywon Christopher held Dickens to a yard on his second carry and then teamed up with Elijah Hill for a sack. Michael Merdinger threw incomplete to end it.

Odom completed 14 of 23 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns. He had a 12-yard touchdown pass to Gabriel Benyard in the first quarter and a 25-yarder on first down in the first OT. It was Benyard's school-record ninth touchdown catch this season.

Odom added a 9-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter and finished with 72 yards on 13 carries. Coleman Bennett rushed 14 times for 92 yards and a score. Bennett also had a touchdown catch.

Dickens, a sophomore, carried 43 times for 267 yards and four touchdowns for Liberty (4-8, 3-5). It was the third most yards gained in school history. Dickens raced 95 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to put the Flames up 28-21,

Liberty got the ball back at its own 29 with 2:20 to go, but Jay Billingsley missed a 32-yard field goal with 5 seconds left to force OT.

Merdinger finished with 212 yards and a touchdown on 12-for-21 passing.

Jacksonville State will host Kennesaw State for the conference championship on Friday.

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